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Jillian Michaels

Update: Jillian Michaels Faces Third Lawsuit Over Her Fat-Burning Pills

by Janet on February 19, 2010

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Ok, did I call this one, or what?  I’ve been talking about the troubling supplements from Jillian Michaels for quite awhile.  In my original post, I wrote about my concerns — as well as my disappointment that “America’s Toughest Trainer” is now telling you to pop a pill to burn that fat.  Now it’s coming back to bite her in a major way.

If you’re keeping score at home, this is the third time that Jillian has been sued over her diet pills.  This time there are allegations that they contain a “potentially lethal” blend of ingredients.  I know when I wrote about the first time Jillian was sued, some people left comments that the lawsuit was crazy — maybe so.  It does all come down to personal responsibility.  But I do think this lawsuit helps raise awareness of the problems with these diet pills — especially these so-called fat burners.

In the class action lawsuit filed earlier this week in L.A. County Superior Court, Kathy Hensley claims “The Biggest Loser” trainer “sold her proverbial soul to the devil” by teaming up with the companies that created her fat burner.

Hensley claims Jillian and those companies (Thin Care and Basic Research) failed to disclose that the main ingredients of the “Jillian Michael Maximum Strength Fat Burner” allegedly combine to make a “toxic cocktail.” In the lawsuit, Hensley claims one of the pill’s ingredients — citrus aurantium — is “potentially lethal” and known to cause high blood pressure and serious cardiac problems in certain individuals.

The pills also contain coffee bean extract, guarana and synephrine — so they could definitely keep you jittery all day (but certainly not enough to melt away fat).

Hensley filed the class action lawsuit against Jillian and the pills’ makers, and is suing for less than $5,000. Two lawsuits ago, Jillian issued a statement that claims her pills were vetted by experts and she’s confident she’ll prevail in court.


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Jillian Michaels Sued Over Diet Pills

by Janet on February 11, 2010

jm-calorie-controlOK, so you know how I feel about Jillian Michaels getting into the diet pills business.

Now maybe she’s regretting that decision.  The Associated Press is reporting that the “Biggest Loser” trainer has been sued for alleged false advertising by a woman who claims she was duped into buying her diet supplements.

Christine Christensen of Lake Elsinore, Calif., is seeking a class-action lawsuit that claims she bought a product called “Jillian Michaels Maximum Strength Calorie Control” last month and that it has failed to lessen her appetite or cause her to lose weight as advertised.

Michaels’ picture and endorsement appear on the packaging, touting her as “America’s Toughest Trainer.”  The product and Web site advertising include the claim:  “Two Capsules Before Main Meals and You Lose weight….That’s It!”

I do think it’s irresponsible to make anyone believe that this is all you need to do to lose weight.  Really, that’s it?  She goes on to say “…when you take this compound before main meals, you eat less…but the best part is, you won’t even know it.  What could be simpler!”

And what is it about the $39.99 bottle of pills that will really do the trick?  The pills include a “proprietary blend” of :

  • yerba mate (leaf) extract
  • guarana (seed) extract, standardized to 10% caffeine
  • damiana (leaf) extract
  • coffee (bean) extract – standardized to 70% natural caffeine
  • ginger (root) powder
  • kola nut (seed) extract – standardized to 12% caffeine
  • white willow (bark) powder
  • cocoa (seed) extract – standardized to 4% theobromine
  • jujube (seed) extract
  • shisandra (fruit) extract
  • Chinese skullcap (root) extract – standardized to 30% flavones as baicalin

To me, this is simply a massive dose of caffeine with a bunch of stuff that may sound good.

“Ms. Michaels knows better — taking two pills before eating does not miraculously cause weight loss,” the lawsuit states.  Christensen’s suit seeks unspecified damages that are not expected to total more than $5 million, according to AP.  Her filing states she has “struggled with weight loss her entire life” and bought “Calorie Control” because of Michaels’ endorsement.

You may debate the merits of class action lawsuits like this, but it is troubling that a lot of people are taking the advice of Jillian Michaels because they trust her — and they’re being mislead.  Of course, nothing you pop in your mouth is going to melt away pounds without any effort.   And nothing in these pills will likely even curb your appetite. 

It’s a shame that these pills can make these claims — put it’s a double shame that “America’s Toughest Trainer” is trying to convince people that these claims are true.

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A Closer Look at the Detox and Cleanse Trend

by Janet on February 2, 2010

Enough already with detox and cleanse.  You can hardly escape these words.

No wonder, research by the trend tracker Mintel shows that this concept has had explosive growth.  There’s been a tremendous increase in the number of  products making detox claims, especially in food and drink.  Take a look at these stats:

Food                         + 108%
Healthcare            +  34%
Beverages             +  19%

(Comparing full-year 2007 with Jan.-Sept. 2009, Mintel Global New Products Database)

detox diets for dummiesJust doing my own little research on Amazon.com, I found 316 detox diet books.  One of the latest is Detox Diets for Dummies (Wiley 2010).  You know a trend has really gone mainstream if there’s a Dummies book about it.

There’s also The Martha’s Vineyard Diet Detox that promises a weight loss of 21 pounds in 21 days.   Read more about this liquid “cleansing” diet on WebMD. The article does a great job explaining the claims and raising concerns about this approach.

Some of the most popular detox-related books have been written by Ann Louise Gittleman, who is out with her latest Fat Flush For Life.

Once again, I can’t believe that Time named it one of the top 10 notable new diet books of the year.  How disappointing.  That’s the same list that saluted The Big Breakfast Diet — another book that I had a problem with.

Supplement companies have been working over time to bring new detox and cleanse products to market.  And that includes the diet pills that are being peddled by The Biggest Loser’s Jillian Michaels.

I actually got pitched by a PR gal promoting these new detox and cleanse supplements.  Can you believe it?  I guess she didn’t read what I had already written about Jillian Michaels’ diet pills. I was even offered free samples to offer to my readers.  Fat chance.

PLEASE people, do your research first before you’re pitching bloggers.  I’m probably the last person you want to send this product to.

Here’s a copy of the press release…JIAM50

Jillian Michaels, New York Times bestselling author  and renowned wellness coach from NBC’s The Biggest Loser and star of the  upcoming NBC show Losing It with Jillian, announces a new product  intended to “jump-start” any weight loss program. Her JumpStart 14 day  Cleanse and Burn kit has launched in Walgreens and Wal-Mart stores, and  will roll out in retailers nationwide over the next month.

“Cleansing has become a kind of national obsession,” says Michaels. ”People are cleansing as part of a weight loss plan, to help reduce belly bloat, increase energy or just to make them feel lighter. But all  cleansing formulas are not equal. Many contain harsh chemical laxatives,  require fasting, or fail to provide the necessary probiotic  replenishment to restore beneficial intestinal flora. With so many  people jump-starting their diets with a cleanse, I wanted to make sure  there was a high-quality product on the market that was natural, didn’t  require fasting, and included a probiotic component. Adding a week’s  worth of my Maximum Strength Fat Burner was the icing on the cake, so to  speak.”

Oh my.  So cleansing is a “national obsession” and Jillian Michaels comes to the rescue to help us all!  Why is she reinforcing this myth?  Why doesn’t she stick with giving exercise advice?

The entire premise of “detox” is faulty.  Our  bodies don’t get backed up with “toxins” that come from the foods we eat.  And if it did, there’s nothing that we eat — or don’t eat — that’s going to help our liver do its job any better.  Our liver is the best filter for any toxins.  A severe weight loss program that relies on only liquids (like The Martha’s Vineyard Diet Detox and other detox diets) will likely backfire.  You might lose weight because you’re taking in so few calories, but most of the weight will be water weight and muscle.  It’s a way to dramatically control calories — there’s no real detoxification going on.

The detox trend is not just impacting foods, beverages and supplements.  You can find many different products making promises to rid your body of “toxins,” including detoxification foot pads. Take a look at Foot Pads: A Sticky Issue in today’s Wall Street Journal. It’s amazing that these claims are being made.  Happy to see the FTC has charged at least one company with deceptive advertising.  You can find more myth-busting information on the detox trend at Sense About Science.

I’ll be writing more about detox very soon, so stay tuned.

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‘The Biggest Loser’ Trainer is Selling Some Losers: Why, Oh Why Is Jillian Michaels Pushing Diet Pills?

by Janet on November 3, 2009

JillianMichaels“America’s Toughest Trainer” has gone too far.  I hate to see Jillian Michaels get into the supplement business — especially with the types of products she’s chosen to put her name on.   Jillian has a devoted following on NBC’s The Biggest Loser (even with her tough love approach).  She’s even scored her own show called Losing It with Jillian, so I’m sure there will be a lot of eager dieters ready to swallow her weight loss pills — which promise to control calories, burn fat, detox and cleanse.

Sure, she looks great.  No denying that.  But why is Jillian now an authority on nutrition?  Why is she pushing diet pills when she preaches about “no shortcuts” so often on The Biggest Loser. She’s gotten  Run Faster Mommy and Healthy and Sane upset over this apparent flip flopping on her “no magic pills” advice.

Yes, we’re all disappointed.

So, exactly what are in these pills?   The Quickstart Rapid Weight Loss System ($99 at GNC) contains the Jillian Michaels Maximum Strength Calorie Control and the Jillian Michaels Maximum Strength Fat Burner.  The Calorie Control capsules are…

“…a proprietary formula specifically developed to restrict your caloric intake automatically.  In other words, when you take this compound before main meals, you eat less…but the best part is you won’t even know you’re eating less.  It’s like an automatic diet.  What could be easier!”

You’re supposed to take two capsules with a full glass of water 15 minutes before main meals.  They’re described as a high energy formula to fight “diet fatigue.” The instructions say to limit your caffeine throughout the day.  You know why?  You’re getting a giant  jolt of caffeine with these diet pills.  This can especially be worrisome for people who are sensitive to stimulants or caffeine, or have an existing health condition such as heart disease or high blood pressure. The ingredients include:

Xanthine complex
Yerba Mate leaf
Coffee bean extract (70% caffeine)
Guarana extract (a caffeine like compound)
Cocoa extract
L-glutamine
L-tyrosine
Damiana leaf extract
Ginger root powder
White willow bark powder

Primarily you’re dosing up on caffeine and relying on an ingredient, Yerba Mate, that has fallen flat when it comes to weight loss.  Even though this ingredient claims to have weight loss powers, scientific research has shown otherwise.  A review of existing studies on weight loss supplements in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that Yerba Mate (along with several other dietary supplements) is not effective for reducing body weight.  The researchers concluded that the evidence on Yerba Mate as a weight loss aid is not convincing and the supplement is not recommended for over-the-counter use.

The Maximum Strength Fat Burner is formulated to “encourage lipolysis (release of fat from mature cells), promote preferential loss of fat mass and inhibit activity of phosphodiesterase.”  Fat chance. The pills contain:

Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA)
White willow bark powder
Grapefruit extract
Bitter orange extract
Blood orange extract
Sweet orange extract
Coleus forskohli extract
Tribulus terrestris extract
Xanthine complex
Yerba mate leaf
Coffee bean extract
Guarana seed extract

Once again, there are a lot of stimulants in these pills and an ingredient, CLA, that won’t likely do much fat burning for you. A study on CLA that was published in  the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that “daily CLA supplementation for 1 year does not prevent weight or fat mass regain in a healthy obese population.”  The remaining ingredients are basically fillers.  They may sound nice, but don’t offer any real benefits.

JillianDETOXThe line-up also includes Jillian Michaels Triple Process Body Detox & Cleanse plus Probiotic Replenishment. Now it’s really getting strange.  The primary ingredients are magnesium oxide (described as detox & cleanse magnesium) and a proprietary blend of probiotics.  And there’s a long list of extracts from roots, barks and fruit.  The directions say to take 2 capsules with a full glass of water twice a day for 7 days.  The “treatment” may be repeated every 3 to 4 months as desired.  Here’s a great rant about this troubling product from You Are Not a Fit Person.

I don’t get it.  With Jillian’s success, why did she have to go this route.  These products are expensive and there’s no evidence that they’ll be effective.

They also contain a lot of stimulants and questionable ingredients that may not even be safe for some people.

Why is Jillian not following her own advice?  Why is she touting a quick fix, when she preaches about hard work — discipline and daily physical activity.

Sure, there will be plenty of testimonials and people who will swear by the supplements.  But I still think the products are losers. I suggest you stay clear of Jillian Michaels weight loss system.  Watch her show, even buy her tapes.  Just don’t pop the pills.

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